Justin Wrobleski has been the biggest surprise of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2026 season, giving himself an excellent shot at sticking around in the rotation even with the return of Blake Snell on the horizon.
The left-hander has the lowest ERA in the Majors this season despite generating just 3.75 strikeouts per nine innings. While that figure is quite abnormal and suggests Wrobleski is due to regress to the mean at some point, the Dodgers aren’t all that concerned with the lack of strikeouts.
Freddie Freeman said Wrobleski has been “amazing” this season.
“I know the strikeout numbers aren’t eye-popping, but he’s keeping us in the game. The defense is alive for him, and he’s just throwing strikes,” Freeman said on SportsNet LA. “That’s all you can really ask for. We feel very confident with him out there. He’s been pitching really, really well.”
Manager Dave Roberts praised the young left-hander, while also noting how well the team has played behind him. Opponents’ tendency to put the ball in play against Wrobleski has necessitated strong defense behind the southpaw.
“What it does is it keeps the defense involved,” Roberts said. “He’s got a good pace to him, puts the ball in play. Obviously, he’d like to get some more swing-and-miss, but those guys are swinging the bats, hitting at guys, and a lot of soft contact.
“I just like the way guys stay involved behind him. Every single time he takes the baseball, we have an opportunity to win a game, most importantly. And he goes deep in games. I just feel like he’s always prepared, sequences differently, and just goes after guys.”
Wrobleski’s pitching style this season has made him hyper-efficient with his pitch count, allowing him to go deeper into games. He has thrown at least five innings in every one of his five starts this season, including quality starts in each of his last four outings.
Justin Wrobleski finding consistency through ‘confidence’
Roberts shared his belief that confidence is the biggest contributor to Wrobleski’s breakout season as a younger pitcher.
“Confident,” manager Dave Roberts said of Wrobeski on SportsNet LA after his start against the Chicago Cubs. “Today, there were two stressful innings, a lot of it brought on by himself, as far as the walks and things like that.
“But to bear down that first inning and then come back and do the same thing in the second inning. Then, after that, he got into a good rhythm and got back to his pitch count. But for a young pitcher to go through stress, be consistent, and be able to manage stress, limit damage and things like that, that’s certainly a lot of growth.
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